The Greatness and Decline of Rome Volume 3 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III GENERAL DISSOLUTION Bnitus and Cassius flee from Rome?Cicero at Puteoli? Lucius Antonius and Fulvia?Antony's change of front? First falsification of Caesar's measures?The arrival of Caius Octavius?Brutus and Cassius in Campania?Antony collects the veterans?Brutus and Cassius at Lanuvium. The conservatives loudly praised the severity of Antony, Flight of who was congratulated by Brutus t on his action. The respite Ca, s;us fronl was, however, of short duration. Popular excitement increased; Rome, demonstrations were made against the murderer of Hero- philus; the mob went so far as to burn the shop of a sculptor where the heads of Caesar's statues were being changed. Antony was obliged to use further severity, and such slaves or freed- men as he caught openly rioting were crucified or thrown from the Tarpeian Rock.J However, these measures proved ineffectual; the next day, April 13, Brutus and Cassius, weary of living in a state of continual fear, and unnerved by the Inactivity and solitude to wEcE tKey "were condemned, left "Rome for Lanuvium. Antony proceeded to make further overtures to" the" conservatives, as he saw the disturbances in Rome increasing; he proposed that Brutus should be given leave of absence from Rome for a space of more than ten days. He also proposed that Lepidus should be commissioned to Appian, B. C. iii. 3. t Cicero, A. XIV. viii. I. J Appian, B. C. iii. 3. J Cicero, Phil. II. xiii. 31, This passage would seem to show that this authorisation was given before the Ludi Apollinares. This was before July, as the catalogue of favours granted bv Antony to Brutus evidently runs in chronological order. It seems to me probable that the authorisation was given at that time, as Brutus was never charged with illegal absence. Apri...